Absorbent material.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

W. R. GREEN. ABSORBENT MATERIAL. APPLICATION FILE-D JULY 25, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD R. GREEN, OF MUSCATINE. IOWA.

ABSORBENT MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Jan. 16, 19( 6.

Anplication filed July 25,1904. Serial No 217,970.

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to and has for its object to provide an improved absorbent material for hygienic and surgical purposes.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ortion of an absorbent ody made in accordance with the present Fig. 2 is a sectional view of improvement.

Fig. 3 1s a the mass of absorbent material.

similar view showing surfacing layers of fiber applied to the top of the mass, Fig. 4shows surfacing applied to both sides, but respectively of different character. Fig. 5 shows fine suriacing applied to the under side. Fig. 6 is a pers ective view of the material scored or partial y severed to permit of the ready removal of portions for use.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of similar material in a roll and partially unrolled. Fig. 8 is a view illustrat- 111 -the modeof application of a portion of this material, and Fig. 9 is an end view of a roll of the material.

My present invention relates to absorbent materials, the object being to provide an absorbent mass comprising different kinds of strands and fibers, these being so combined or organized to ether as to provide a relatively high capil ary absorptive power and at the same time to permit the use in the manufacture of absorbent material of relatively coarse strands, also to provide such a mate 'rial adapted to take up and retain relatively large uantities of fluid without becoming matte or felted, thus adapting the material for an extended range of uses, while providing for the manufacture of the same at a relatively low cost.

lary and fluid-retaining spaces or interstices of the mass. While different kinds of fiber products may be employed for the coarser eomponentsuch," for instance, as certain small plants or grasses suitably crushed or otherwise prepared-I prefer to employ for such coarser component a woody body in the nature of small strands, these being preferably of a flat and narrow or ribbon-like form, and preferably also of varying sizes intermingled together so as to form interiorly thereof fluid receiving and retaining spaces. The larger of these spaces serve as conductingspaces in the nature of conduits for distributing the fluid through the interior of the mass and conducting the same to the small capillary or retaining spaces formed in the completed mass by the intermingling of the fiber and strands.

For the fiber I prefer to use a relatively flexible and yielding vegetable fiber-such, for instance, as cotton or linen. This fiber is distributed through the mass and extends between and is intermingled or intermeshed with the coarser and more rigid strands, which, in a sense form a supporting member or mass component fornormally holding the mass as a whole in a properly-ex anded form and prevent the same from un ue compression. For these coarser components or strands I preferably employ wood in the form of ribbon-like strands, which, as I havediscovered, are by reason of their physical form and composition peculiarly suitable for use in this kind of material, since they are relatively.

rigid and of highly stable form, even when the massis wetted to saturation, besides being relatively non-felting, and therefore not liable to become sopacked or matted together as to essentially injure the absorptive efficiency of themass.

In the preferred and most complete form of my, improved absorbent material and body portion of the mass (designated in a general .way by 10) has the filament component thereof extended outside of the commingled mass of strands and the finer filament material -to form a surfacing finish for the purpose, among others, of giving the surface of the material, especially when this is in sheet form, a soft finish and at the same time not make the surface portion of the mass so dense as to prevent rapid absorption through the thin and loosely-formed fiber surface or bat into the interior spaces of the mass. In this connection it will be remembered that in the case of ordinary absorbent vegetable fiber such, for instance, as absorbent cotton as ordinarily prepared and used-a small amount of fluid, especially if it be not perfectlyliquid, tends to make the surface part or the fiber pack together'and become so matted (in a certain sense partially felted) as to close the inlet spaces or interstices, and thus retard the passage of the fluid through the surface portion of the mass to the interior thereof. This difiiculty is in many cases so great as to practically preclude the use of absorbent cotton for the purpose of taking up fluids and to preclude the successful employment of such absorbent materials for many uses Where they could otherwise be well adapted.

For the reasons here indicated I deem it preferable in practice to provide the absorbent mass with a filamental surface portion upon one or both sides of only a small thickness, but sufficient to give a smooth and soft finish to the,same, and to provide the absorbent mass, this being preferably made in the form of a sheet or bat of moderate thickness, (designated in a general way by 10,) on one side thereof with a filamental surface sheeting, as 13, consisting of fiber or fiberstock-such, for instance, as short fiber paperstock combined with a small amount of cementitious material, sufficient in quantity, however, to cause this fiber member of the mass to normally retain its continuity after the major portion of the mass has been divided by cutting into blocks, as 12, of a size convenient for use. This finer material is more fully illustrated in connection with Figs. 1, 4, 5', 6, and 9, in which is represented a sheet of the material provided on one side with the loosely matted filamental surfacing portion 11 and on the other side with the cementitious fiber surface 13 for temporarily holding the divided portions 12 of the mass together until the same are re uired for use.

In Fig. 9 the advantages 0' the described mode of putting up and packing the material are illustrated. The roll of material havingits usual casing, as 14, Fig. 7, torn off, one end of the sheet may then be unrolled for a short distance, (or may be lefton the surface of the cylinder or package) and the user may by taking hold of one end of one of the incipiently-divided blocks, as 12, tear the same out of the sheet. in doing this it is only necessary to tear apart the hitherto unbroken or only partiallybroken ccmcntitious fiber layer 13. The block or portion torn out from the sheet may be taken in the fingers and used in the same manner as-any small mass or bunch of absorbent fiber and is especially adapted for being folded upas illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 8so that the outer filament surface of the sheet or mass will form a continuous surface with which to touch a wound, for instance, as required for use in surgical operations and the like. This mode of folding the thin block or small sheet for use normally forms the same into a suitably covered and kneaded surface well adapted for effective use.

The absorbent material herein shown and described is for hygienic and surgical purposes in the form of bandages or otherwise, and the term surgical purposes in the claims is intended to cover such uses.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. As an article of manufacture, an absorbent body for surgical purposes consisting of a main portion composed of woody strands and one or more surface layers composed of fiber.

2. As an article of manufacture, an absorbent body for surgical purposes consisting of a main portion composed of a mixture of excelsior and fiber, and one or more surface layers of fiber upon said mass.

3. As an article of manufacture an absorbent mass for surgical purposes consisting of a main portion comprising intermingled Woody strands of various sizes, and a surface layer composed of Vegetable fiber, such as cotton or linen fiber.

4. An absorbent material for surgical purposes consisting of a highly-absorbent mass of mixed strands and fiber,and a surfacing of cementitious fiber upon one side, and a vegetable fiber upon the other side.

As an article of manufacture, an absorbent mass for surgica 'purposes consisting of a body made up of intermingled woody strands or ribbons of various sizes, and a fibrous or filamentous surface layer on one or more faces thereof, the whole arranged in sheet form and partially divided into blocks or sections to permit ready detachment thereof.

Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 itlurray street, New York, N. '1'., this 27th day of June, 1904.

Wll LA li 1) b1. (i KEEN.

Witnesses:

hnANms H. RICHARDS. FRED. J. Dome, 

